Wednesday, October 24, 2012

iPad Mini, iPad 4, iMacs – Everything You Need to Know

Apple’s long-anticipated smaller tablet
is here and judging from the past experience, the new iPad Mini should
give Samsung a run for their money. The battle between Apple and Samsung
especially on the copyrights will not end anytime soon hence the whole
new battlefield level – mini tablet. The fact that the new pencil-thin
(7.2mm) iPad Mini comes a mere half-year after the third-generation iPad
(iPad 3) was introduced goes to show that Apple was aggresive in
stopping Samsung from making cool money by ripping off its intellectual
property, at least that was what the late Steve Jobs thought.

Was Apple worry about Android tablet’s market momentum? Of course
they are otherwise the company’s senior vice president of marketing,
Phil Schiller, would not had spent an unusual amount of time talking
about them. Schiller said ” … others have tried to make tablets smaller
than the iPad, and they’ve failed … ” and tried very hard to convince
the audience who attended the launching about the “gigantic difference”
between the iPad Mini and Nexus 7. Heck, Schiller’s trashing of Google’s
Nexus may be a little overdone. Nevertheless, Apple just sold its 100
millionth iPad 2-weeks ago, an impressive milestone considering the
company just launched the iPad product two and a half years ago, so
they’ve every right to brag and criticise.

{ 1 } iPad Mini Screen

- Compared to its larger (9.7-inches) cousin iPad 3, the Mini has a 7.9-inch screen, measured diagonally.
- While you probably can stash Amazon Kindle and Google Nexus 7, both
measuring 7-inch, in your jacket pocket, you may not be able to do so
with this wider iPad Mini.
- The new screen has resolution of 1024-px by 768-px at 163ppi (same
as outgoing iPad 2), so all the software created for previous iPads will
work. However this also means it’s not retina display, at least not yet
with this first generation Mini. Yes, I know, wait for the second
generation.
- As comparison, Google’s Nexus 7 comes with 1,280-px by 800-px resolution.

{ 2 } iPad Mini Size, Weight and Color

- At just 7.2 milimeters (0.28 inch), it’s pencil thin – 23% thinner than iPad
- The Mini is also super light – Apple claims it’s as light as a pad
of paper, while figure-wise, it’s actually weight 0.68 pound (308 grams,
WiFi only), an astonishing 53% lighter than iPad.
- As opposed to Google’s Nexus 7 which is made of plastic, this Mini is made of aluminium (what else do you expect?).
- Just like iPhone 5, the new Mini comes in white and slate black.

{ 3 } iPad Mini Processor

- The new iPad Mini is using dual-core A5 chip – that’s old processor
used in iPad2 in early 2011 – as compared to Nexus 7′s quad-core Tegra 3
chip. Somehow I’ve a feeling that this new iPad Mini will get obsolete
pretty fast with it’s next generation coming real soon. Just what was
Apple thinking throwing in an underpowered tablet to us?

{ 4 } iPad Mini Ultrafast Wireless

- iPad mini features advanced Wi-Fi that’s up to twice as fast as any
previous-generation iPad. With dual-band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) 802.11n
Wi-Fi and support for channel bonding, download speeds can reach up to
150 Mbps.
- With selected carriers, iPad mini supports fast cellular networks
around the world including LTE networks. Without LTE, you can still make
use of GSM/UMTS networks including HSPA, HSPA+, and DC-HSDPA

{ 5 } iPad Mini Cameras

- It has FaceTime HD and back-facing 5MP iSight cameras, similar to
what you get on bigger iPad (and the newly launched iPad 4) but lower
than iPhone 5′s 8MP camera.
- Due to its Mini’s size, taking picture or video with one hand is
easier now. Needless to say, you can make video call over WiFi or
cellular.

{ 6 } iPad Mini Lightning Connector

- And it has the inevitable Lightning connector, which first debuted on the iPhone 5.

{ 7 } iPad Mini Battery

- Apple says the new smaller iPad has 10-hour battery life, and it
retains what is arguably the biggest advantage that Apple claims – the
275,000 apps in the App Store. Let’s hope the battery life lasts as long
as what Apple claims.

{ 8 } iPad Mini Pricing

- The iPad mini starts at $329 for a 16GB Wi-Fi only model, $429 for a
32 GB model and $529 for a 64 GB model. The Wi-Fi only models will ship
on Nov. 2.
- The iPad mini models with Wi-Fi and 4G starts at $459 for 16GB, $559 for 32GB, and $659 for 64GB, and is available on Nov. 16.

{ 9 } iPad Mini Availability

- Pre-order starts: October 26, 2012
- WiFi models shipping – November 2, 2012
- WiFi and 3G models shipping – November 16, 2012
Now, while everyone was waiting for the iPad Mini, very few expect
Apple to reveal a new generation of the bigger 9.7-inch iPad but reveal
it did – the new iPad 4. This sure will make many 3rd generation (iPad 3
buyers) owners angry, ever since the iPad 3 was launched in Mar this
year. The fourth generation iPad features an A6X processor, 5 megapixel
iSight camera, expanded LTE chipset, front-facing camera with FaceTime
and 720p video capture, faster Wi-Fi, and Lightening connector. The new
iPad is priced at $499 for a 16 GB model, $629 for a 16 GB model with 4G
LTE.
Fourth generation iPad Wi-Fi only model will be available for
pre-order on Friday, Oct. 26, and will hit stores on Nov. 2. OK, now
let’s look at the differnce between iPad 3 and iPad 4 (named as iPad
with Retina display).

{ 1 } iPad 3 vs iPad 4: Screen

- Both the iPad 3 and the iPad 4 come with Apple’s Retina display
(*relief*). Although “only” packing 264ppi, unlike the iPhone 5′s
326ppi, the iPad’s still have market-leading screens.

{ 2 } iPad 3 vs iPad 4: Processor

- Building upon the iPad 2, the iPad 3 comes with a dual core A5X
processor, with a quad core GPU. However, the iPad 4 packs Apple’s
latest A6X processor, the same chip in the iPhone 5, which Apple claims
“doubles the performance of CPU tasks.” Hence this is perhaps one of the
major reason you should get iPad 4, if you do not already own iPad 3 –
another reason for iPad 3 owners to whine and bitch about Apple.

{ 3 } iPad 3 vs iPad 4: Connectivity

- The other major difference is that the iPad 4 (Wi-Fi + Cellular
version) comes LTE enabled. The iPad 3 did come enabled with 4G,
however, it couldn’t be used in the United Kingdom. However, with the
introduction of the iPad 4 they can now enjoy super fast mobile
internet.

{ 4 } iPad 3 vs iPad 4: Camera

- Apple might not have upgraded the screen, but it did upgrade the
front-facing camera. The iPad 3 came with a 0.3 MP standard definition
offering, whereas the iPad 4 comes with 1.3 MP front-facing camera,
making full use of the Retina display for video chatting with a 1.2MP HD
camera.

{ 5 } iPad 3 vs iPad 4: Lightning Connector

- Obviously, the major difference between the two iPad generations
lies within their connector options – the new 8-pin Lightning dock,
first announced on the iPhone 5. Now, this is 80 percent smaller and
more durable than Apple’s original 30-pin offering is made standard in
iPad 4

{ 6 } iPad 3 vs iPad 4: Battery

- Similar to iPad 3, the new iPad 4 comes with a battery that lasts
up to 10 hours, at least that was what Apple claims. Analysts noted that
despite iPad 3′s high-resolution retina display, the battery life was ”
acceptable.”

{ 7 } iPad 3 vs iPad 4: OS

- Apple’s latest operating system, iOS 6, was recently launched
alongside the iPhone 5, so naturally it’s also featured on the new iPad
4. The iPad 3 launched with iOS 5.1 but is upgradeable to iOS 6.

{ 8 } iPad 3 vs iPad 4: Price

- If you think you can get iPad 3 cheaper with this latest iPad 4
release, you’re in for a rude shock. Apple plans to phase out the 3rd
generation iPad hence the iPad 4 renamed as “iPad with Retina display” –
don’t you hate Tim Cook?

- The iPad 4 comes in at the same price of the iPad 3, with the Wi-Fi
only tablets coming in at £399 ($US499, AU$539), £479(US$599, AU$649)
and £559(US$699, AU$759) for 16GB, 32GB and 64GB respectively. The Wi-Fi
+ Cellular versions cost a bit more, at £499(US$629, AU$679),
£579(US$729, AU$789) and £659(US$829, AU$899) for the three storage
options.

Another Apple product that almost miss everybody attention was the
new iMacs. It’s crazily thin. The new models are 80 percent thinner
(just 5mm) and about eight pounds lighter than their predecessors. Apple
will offer iMacs in 21.5-inch and 27-inch versions, the latter of which
has a resolution of 2560 by 1440. The screen has 75 percent less
reflection, and a few other features like an HD camera, dual
microphones, and a stereo sound system that’s supposed to be much better
than the previous generation.
The new iMac machines have quad-core i5 processors (configurable up
to i7), up to 32GB of RAM, and as much as 768GB of flash storage. On top
of that, there’s an SD card, gigabit ethernet, and a now, a fusion
drive – that’s 128GB of flash storage plus 1 or 3 TB of hard drive
combined into one hard drive. For notebook fans, Apple also has
officially announced a 13-inch version of its portable workstation, with
a 2560 x 1600 Retina Display. That’s just a slight drop in resolution
from the 15-incher.
The 13-inch Retina Display notebook model comes in two base
configurations priced at $1,699 (2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
processor, 8GB of memory, and a 128GB SSD drive) and $1,999 (same spec
as $1,699 except a larger 256GB SSD drive). Both models can be further
upgraded with a whopping 768GB and a 2.9GHz dual-core Intel Core i7
processor. As usual, each boast 7 hours of battery life, under ideal
conditions.
With so many new products being released, you’re spoilt for choice
but the main attraction is definitely the iPad Mini. So should you buy
one? The Mini uses Apple’s old A5 dual-core processor, the same one that
debuted in the iPad 2 in early 2011. It’s missing the special
high-resolution Retina display found in the full-sized iPad and the
iPhone. And Apple’s starting price is $329, a full $130 more than the
competition. If you’re Apple fans and must buy this brand even with a
gun at your head, wait for the second generation of iPad Mini. If size
and some extra dollars are not the issues, consider the new iPad 4.